mistress opens an excellent career. But, ladies, especially ladies present, I particularly commend to your increasing attention the cause of the Zenana Mission. The schools of which I have been speaking have been for the humbler kinds of girls; but the operations for which I venture to bespeak your best exertions, are those of the Zenana Missions, which are carried on, not in the villages, nor in the busy streets of the towns, but in the houses, in the apartments, of the middle classes and of the wealthy. It is most important that the enlightenment should spread among the upper classes of the women, in order that it may be the leaven to affect the whole mass of female education throughout British India. But these benevolent operations in the inner apartments of the women necessarily demand a peculiarly delicate organisation -a sort of organisation which cannot be roughly attempted by us plain, practical administrators, as it requires all the gentle and patient thought which the educated women of England are peculiarly qualified to exercise. You cannot do better for the cause of Christianity than to continue these exertions on behalf of your Eastern sisters, in the full confidence that such educational enlightenment must be necessarily followed by the propagation of Christianity.

I shall conclude by reminding you that, as patriotic people, you may be confident that the missions in India are doing a work which strengthens the imperial foundations of British power, and raises our national repute in the eyes of the many millions of people committed to our charge. You may be also confident that the results are fully commensurate with the expenditure. As an old Finance Minister of India, I ought to know, if anybody does, when the money's worth is got by any operation; and myself having also administered, from first to last, provinces which comprise nearly half British India-I say that, of all the departments I have ever administered, I never saw one more efficient than the missionary department, and of all the hundreds of officers I had under my command,

CHAP. VII.

SUPPORT OF THE MISSION CAUSE.

165

European officers and gentlemen, I have never seen a better body of men than the Protestant missionaries. Of all the departments I have administered, I have never known one in which a more complete result was obtained than in the department-the grand department-which is represented by the Protestant missions. You may say that you ought to have not only statistics and reports to convince you, but that you ought to have corroboration of all the fine things that are told you. Now, for most of the statistics that are published by the missionaries you have absolute official verification. The census of the native Christians of India is as trustworthy as the census of the Europeans of British India itself. The main facts upon which you rely when you give your subscriptions to the missionary cause are as certain as any financial, or commercial, or political, or administrative fact whatever. As regards the evidence, you have that of some among the greatest administrators, the bravest soldiers, and the most skilful politicians that have ever adorned the annals of the East. I wish that some of them could be present upon this platform to bear witness of what they have seen and known. They are men accustomed to make responsible statements which shall command the trust of their countrymen, and even the reliance of the Government itself. They are not men likely to be misled by prejudice or by enthusiasm; on the contrary, they are cool, calculating men. Would that they were here to bear evidence to-night. But, having administered the finances of India for several years, having governed in succession some of her largest provinces, having also by fate been cast among the troubles and difficulties of almost every part of British India, from north to south, from east to west -I have thought it my duty, without claiming any credit whatever for myself, to stand before you, to give my personal testimony, and to add to that testimony whatever weight I could by presiding over your deliberations this evening.

CHAPTER VIII.

EFFECT OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT AMONG INDIAN NATIVES.

[Reprinted from the Fortnightly Review' for January 1883.]

Intellectual and spiritual crisis impending in India-Opportunity thus offered to Christendom-Men looking retrospectively towards a golden age-The old-fashioned style of natives-The new style of educated men -- Their national aspirations Germ of representative institutions Muhammadan expectation of an earthly Messiah Brahmoism a new religion — Prospect of Christianity in India - Theological mysticism arising Jealousy between rival creeds-Ideal of native existence-Tendency of religious sentiment.

As the material conditions-some favourable, others unfavourable-affecting India become better understood in England, so the mental and moral phases through which the population, composed of many diverse nationalities, is passing, seem to be attracting increased public attention. There has just appeared an interesting volume by Sir Alfred Lyall (now LieutenantGovernor of the North-western Provinces of India), entitled 'Asiatic Studies.' It consists of a series of essays, the chief of which are entitled: "The Origin of Divine Myths in India,' The Influence upon Religion of a Rise in Morality,' 'Witchcraft and non-Christian Religions,' 'Missionary and non-Missionary Religions,' Islam in India,' 'Our Religious Policy in India,' 'The Religious Situation in India.' By these essays the reader is introduced into a part at least of the penetralia of the

Asiatic Studies, Religious and Social.' By Sir Alfred C. Lyall, K.C.B., C.I.E. London: John Murray, 1882.

CHAP. VIII. OPENING OF THE INDIAN MIND,

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Indian mind, and into some among the recesses of the native heart. Thus an insight is gained into the spiritual nature of Orientals; its birth and growth in primitive ages; its expansion during the course of national history; its survival even under the crushing depression of conquest and the iron heel of revolution; its stagnation under the early influences of British rule; and its new development as Western knowledge is diffused by education, Those circumstances which tell in favour of, and those which militate against, the effective power of the Hindu religion are analysed. The reader is reminded that, although Hinduism is involuntarily loosening its grasp on some of the best classes, it is winning a fresh dominion-social and religious-over the aboriginal races to be numbered by millions. The temper of our Indian Mussulmans is examined with judgment and discrimination. It is shown that, notwithstanding fanaticism and bigotry, there is much sensible moderation and sound fidelity in this important section of the people. The position of the British Government, as a Christian power ruling over divers religious communities, is circumspectly considered, and a befitting attitude, during the intellectual and spiritual changes of the immediate future, is indicated.

The situation is well set forth in the following quotation from the last of these able essays:—

"We (the English) have now established reasonable personal security and free communications; we are giving to the Indians leisure and education, the scientific method and the critical spirit.

"It is not easy to conceive any more interesting subject for historical speculation than the probable effect upon India, and consequently upon the civilisation of all India, of the English dominion; for though it would be most presumptuous to attempt any kind of prediction as to the nature or bent of India's religious future, yet we may look forward to a wide and rapid transformation in two or three generations if England's rule

only be as durable as it has every appearance of being. It seems possible that the old gods of Hinduism will die in their new elements of intellectual light and air as quickly as a netful of fish lifted up out of the water. . . . . . Their primitive forms will fade and disappear suddenly, as witchcraft vanished from Europe. In the movement itself there is nothing new, but in India it promises to go on with a speed and intensity unprecedented; and herein lies the peculiar interest, perhaps the danger, of the Indian situation."

Surely it is a matter of duty as well as of interest for British people to enter into this speculation calmly and perseveringly, so that, by taking thought beforehand, the British Government may be prepared to guide the people of India aright through the intellectual and spiritual crisis which is already impending. After all, in England, an instructed and enlightened public opinion must ever be a powerful force in moulding the action of the State respecting India. In the formation of such an opinion this volume of Sir Alfred Lyall's will be a valuable help. He is known to be a thoughtful student and a deep observer as well as a man of action. His works in verse as well as in prose have been instinct with knowledge of native sentiment and imagination. He is well qualified to inform his countrymen regarding the thoughts which are surging in the breasts of Orientals, although no trace of the inward movement may be betrayed by their impassive aspect. His present volume invites the study of those who would govern India aright, and who would attend not only to her economic conditions but also to her mental phenomena.

One more passage from this volume may be cited as having interest for those concerned in the welfare of Christian missions:

"Some may think that Christianity will, a second time in the world's history, step into the vacancy created by a great territorial empire, and occupy the tracts laid open by the upheaval of a whole continent to a new intellectual level. But the state